How To Negotiate Your Fee (Or How I Talked Myself Out of $600)

Written by: Paul Keetch, Published On: April 30, 2012

I just talked myself out of $600 with a brand new client by making a rookie negotiating mistake. I should have known better, so I’m sharing the story with you so that hopefully YOU don’t make the same mistake I did.

Have you ever heard the term “negotiate against yourself?”

Essentially, it’s when you offer a lower price or offer to increase your service load for the original asking price. It might go like this:

YOU: For everything you’ve listed in this package, it will cost $2,500 and I can get started right away.

THEM: Is that the best you can do?

YOU: Well, I could drop $200 off?

THEM: Okay, that would be great, thanks!

There’s nothing wrong with negotiating… and there’s nothing wrong with reducing your fee if you are still getting paid well and you’ll lose the gig otherwise (and don’t have any higher paying work lined up).

But in this case, the best response to “Is that the best you can do?” would have been

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How to Create Killer Content for Your Blog

Written by: Paul Keetch, Published On: February 22, 2012

Content. It’s one of the key factors in determining your online marketing success.

Have bad content, no one will come back to your site. Have good content, you’ll do okay. Have great content and people will come back time and time again (and be more likely to buy your products or services).

Unfortunately, most business owners aren’t used to creating all sorts of fresh new content for their blog to stay high in the SERPs (search engine results pages) and get consistent traffic.

They know they “should” blog more often… but whenever they sit down to write, they stare at a blank screen.

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WordPress Tim Thumb Vulnerability

Written by: Paul Keetch, Published On: February 8, 2012

If you run your website(s) using WordPress, this affects you!

I don’t know a lot about hacking, etc, and I’m definitely not a “propeller head” so this information is not intended as a diagnosis or full protection… BUT, one of my sites was recently exploited by this vulnerability and yours could be too, so I want to pass on the information I’ve uncovered.

Much of this info is thanks to Jeff Johnson, who shared it with his subscriber list. I’m doing the same in turn to help you protect yourself against this vulnerability.

THE PROBLEM IN A NUTSHELL

Many WordPress-based blogs and websites use an image resizing script called “timthumb” and old versions of this script have a vulnerability to that allows hackers to upload and execute malicious software.

In my case, they installed phishing software that was mass spamming by email. My hosting company realized what was going on and, to protect all of their clients, not only shut down this one site… but shut down ALL of my sites.

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The Gap

Written by: Paul Keetch, Published On: February 2, 2012

Your clients (and potential clients) are in pain. Or they are frustrated. They have a vision for their future that is different from their current reality.

The space between where they are today and where they want to be is “the gap.”

WHY THE GAP MATTERS

The Gap is the unknown. It is the process of change, of going from here, to there.

As a coach, The Gap is where you work. Your coaching process or system fills the gap. It’s the bridge that spans across the chasm and offers your clients safe passage.

The Gap matters because it’s the thing that your client doesn’t know. If they did, they would already have the reality they desire… and they wouldn’t need you!

But because they don’t know it, they DO need you.

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